You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat it Too.
English
idiom
You can't enjoy both sides of a desirable situation; choices often involve sacrifices.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
You can't enjoy both sides of a desirable situation; choices often involve sacrifices.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
You cannot enjoy two things that are mutually exclusive at the same time.
When someone says you can't have your cake and eat it too, they mean you have to choose — you can't keep something and use it up at once.
It's used when someone wants the benefits of two options without accepting the trade-offs of either.
"Have It Both Ways"
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To benefit from two contradictory situations at the same time
"Bite Off More Than You Can Chew"
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To take on more responsibility than you can actually handle
"You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat it Too"
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You must choose — you can't keep two incompatible benefits at once
We want premium quality but we need it at half the current price.
You can't have your cake and eat it too — let's talk about what matters most.
I want to stay out late tonight but also be up early tomorrow.
You can't have your cake and eat it too — pick one.
I want to freelance full-time but also have complete job security.
You can't have your cake and eat it too — what are you willing to give up?
